November 13, 2018 by The Northern Light

NOVEMBER 13 - NOVEMBER 19, 2018

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UAA student’s essay published in Forbes‌

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Seawolves take a loss and a win in Washington

UAA among top public schools for serving black students, report says

GRAPHIC BY JIAN BAUTISTA

By Marie Ries

news@thenorthernlight.org

A recent report by the Race and Equity Center of the University of Southern California

named UAA as one of the institutions with the highest equity score for black students in the nation. ‌ The report assigned public colleges and universities letter grades on four equity indicators.

The indicators were representation, gender and completion equity, as well as the ratio of black student to black faculty. The equity index score is equivalent to a grade point average on a 4.0 scale.‌ Associate Vice Chancellor of Alaska Natives and Diversity Jeane Breinig said she was pleased to see UAA’s progress in the area but emphasized the need to also look at other indicators.‌ “The numbers tell one story and for a deeper understanding… We need to consult with our African-American students, staff and faculty on what they think of the numbers and to what extent they think the improved scores contribute to an improved experience for them,” Breinig said.‌ UAA scored a 3.0 overall, with an A for gender equity and Bs in representation C and black student to black faculty ratio. For completion equity, UAA received a C.‌ Cheryl Cox Williams, psychology major and president of the Black Student Union at UAA, has a critical view on the

results presented in the report.‌ “The first thing that jumped out at me was that the top 10 [public schools] did not have a lot of As. That’s a very sad commentary as to how low the standards are,” Williams said.‌ The authors of the report highlight that though this score might be high in comparison to other institutions, the schools with the higher scores are still not “necessarily models of national excellence.” ‌ “We deem it problematic to offer kudos to any campus that sustains inequity on any equity indicator or that otherwise disadvantages black undergraduates,” the authors stated in the report.‌ UAS received one of the lowest scores in the nation with an equity score of 1.0. UAF scored a 1.8; the average equity index score for Alaska is 1.83.‌ Breinig thinks that cooperation in the UA system regarding issues of equity could be helpful.‌ “Sharing best practices across our system is a positive move,” Breinig said.‌ Williams believes that though the university is headed

in the direction, the traction of the changes is slow.‌ “It’s literally changing people’s attitudes as to its importance, and it’s been a very hard change,” Williams said. “You can expect somebody to wake up in the morning and have an attitude adjustment. It takes systematic sensitization to what’s causing it in order for the... changes to happen. Right now, things are kind of on the surface – lots of talk.”‌ Williams thinks that the main problem is people not understanding different perspectives.‌ “People are not spending time to get to know each other,” Williams said. ‌ She sees the creation of spaces allowing people to connect with each other as a first step in the classrooms, the Student Union, everywhere on campus.‌ “We lack the skills to know each other in a non-threatening way. And once we can get over that, then we can start talking about diversity,” she said.‌ The full report can be found on the website of the USC Center of Race and Equity at race. usc.edu.‌

Something for everyone at Tri Sigma’s holiday bazaar

By Caleigh Jensen arts2@thenorthernlight.org

For the second year in a row, the Alumnae Chapter of Sigma Sigma Sigma, or Tri Sigma, will host a holiday bazaar for all your Christmas shopping needs. A mix of local artists, crafters, small businesses and direct sale companies will be selling their goods at the event.‌ Forty-five vendors are already booked to attend the bazaar, putting the event on track to be even

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bigger than last year. A large variety of products will be available for purchase from companies such as Damsel in Defense to Scentsy to local photographers shooting holiday family pictures. Members of Eta Zeta, Tri Sigma’s Collegiate Chapter, will also have their own booth selling baked goods and hot drinks.‌ Proceeds from the Tri Sigma Holiday Bazaar accumulate from the fees that vendors pay in order to sell their products at the event. The proceeds

are then split in half with one half put towards sending an alumnae member to a national Tri Sigma convention, and the other half given back to Eta Zeta in the form of service and leadership scholarships. Also, the earnings from Eta Zeta’s booth go directly to Broken Sparrow Children’s Home, a local philanthropy.‌ “It benefits all of us, and it’s nice to be a part of that. We help them help us,” Jamie Logan, vice president of operations for Eta Zeta, said.‌ The bazaar was brought to life by an idea from Amie Collins, secretary of Tri Sigma’s Alumnae Chapter, inspired by the bazaars she attended with her personal pop-up boutique. Collins believes the event is an opportunity to be involved with the community, support the sorority and bring the alumnae and collegiate chapters to-

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gether.‌ “It’s really nice for alumnae to have a connection back to UAA and really get back to our roots,” Collins said. “Alumnae don’t get a lot of face to

face time with the Collegiate Chapter, and [the bazaar] helps bring us closer.”‌ Candice Kelley, president of Tri Sigma’s Eta Zeta chapter, felt that last

year’s bazaar inspired students in the Collegiate Chapter to stick with the

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PHOTO COURTESY OF AMIE COLLINS

Eta Zeta members, Jamie Logan, Micaela Hogan, Ella Meshke, Rachel Ann Bedsworth and Carolyn Layne volunteer at the Tri Sigma Holiday Bazaar in 2017.

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THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2018

Robert Service High School recognized as Unified Champion School by Special Olympics

Service students and faculty pose in front of their champion banner.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF ANCHORAGE SCHOOL DISTRICT

Partners Club member addresses the student body at Service’s banner assembly.

By Joey Carreon

news2@thenorthernlight.org

Service High School raised another banner to their rafters last Tuesday after garnering attention from the likes of ESPN and Special Olympics for being one of the nation’s top Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools; this makes them the first Alaskan school to make the

exclusive list. ‌ The banner recognizes Service High School’s student body for its inclusion and involvement with students with disabilities, acknowledging Service High’s “inclusive school climate” and “sense of collaboration, engagement and respect for all members of the student body and staff,” according to the Special Olympics website. ‌ Service High’s entire student

body was in attendance. Students cheered and chanted as members of Partners Club took to the mic to express their love for the club and happiness for their school’s recognition. ‌ Inclusion is engrained in the culture of Service High’s student body, as their Partners Club takes pride in working to ensure that all students feel involved. Over the years, Service Partners Club has hosted several events

and activities for students with and without intellectual disabilities.‌ “Every student that walks through that door knows that there is a place for them to be involved,” Service High’s special education teacher, Adam Ahonen, said.‌ Established in 2001, Service High’s Partners Club is one of many Partners Club programs in Alaska sponsored by Special Olympics in order to provide various opportunities for students (with and without disabilities) to partake in recreational and social activities together. ‌ These efforts have helped to perpetuate a culture of inclusion within the Service High Student body.‌ “[Inclusion] permeates the entire school,” Frank Hauser,

the school’s principal, said. “It really is something that the student population, the community, the parents, the teachers — everyone believes in this feeling of inclusion.”‌ Amidst the honor of such a prestigious award, Hauser explains that Service High will continue to stand behind their narrative of inclusion for the sake of their students and community moving forward. ‌ “Coming together, supporting each other, making sure that everyone has what they need to be successful — to feel safe and to feel welcomed — I think that’s what’s important in that we will continue to strive towards making this the most inclusive school and environment that we can,” Hauser said. ‌

Majority of UAA faculty members report decrease in morale, according to Faculty Senate survey

GRAPHIC COURTESY OF UAA FACULTY SENATE

By Joey Carreon

news2@thenorthernlight.org

Of the 304 UAA faculty members who participated in a survey conducted by the UAA Faculty Senate this year, 202 of them reported a decline in morale over the past year, which is a two-thirds majority.‌ The survey was conducted by Dr. Sharon

Chamard, former president of the UAA Faculty Senate at the time of the survey, and associate professor in UAA’s Justice Center. Multiple demographics of UAA were represented to ensure accurate results, as faculty members holding different positions, as well as faculty members from each campus, participated in the survey. ‌

The survey also highlighted potential correlations between morale and the workplace, as faculty morale seemed to parallel their discontent for the university’s lack of support for research, service, and administrative activities. ‌ “Faculty who said they were extremely dissatisfied with the level of support for any of these things

were much more likely to say their morale had declined a great deal in the past year,” Chamard reported in the survey notes.‌ Furthermore, those who reported a decrease in morale also generally expressed a lack of trust in UAA-wide leaders and university system leaders, while reporting to generally trust their department heads and deans more.‌ Faculty also reported feelings of not having influence over important decisions in their own colleges, at the UAA level, and at the university system level. Conversely, those who reported feelings of having such influence also reported that their morale had increased or stayed the same.‌ Chamard’s survey also provided statistics addressing that faculty morale decreases were not associated with length of tenure or faculty rank, but more so dependent on: dissatisfaction with resources to support faculty, leadership performance, trust in university leaders, hours worked per week and a

sense of lack of influence over important decisions at multiple levels.‌ While some of the nuances regarding reasons for morale decrease have changed, this year’s faculty morale survey is a stark contrast to the last survey done by the Faculty Senate in 2016, where a staggering 84 percent of 355 faculty participants reported a decrease in morale.‌ “Low levels of morale are typically associated with decreased productivity,” said Chamard when asked about the effects of morale decreases in the workplace. “It is a significant human resources issue when you have a lot of people who are unhappy at their job.”‌ These grievances are not going unheard of, as the Faculty Senate is working to address and improve these statistics through means such as their recent Faculty Senate retreat in August. ‌ “Workplace morale is very important — whether it is the faculty, staff or students,” said current president of the UAA Fac-

ulty Senate, Maria Williams. “I think anytime there is a drop in morale, it should be taken seriously — not only by the faculty, but also by administration.”‌ Administration is indeed working towards this issue. “I do take these survey results seriously even though precipitating events (years of budget cuts, no salary increases and leadership turnover) occurred before I arrived,” said Chancellor Cathy Sandeen.‌ “My style is to be more open, transparent and communicative. I think the faculty are feeling the differences already. I’m also forming task forces to address issues like training and development and recognition and reward.”‌ Sandeen also mentioned efforts to fill interim positions as well as the UA system working to request salary increases in their budget proposal. ‌ “All of this should help. I appreciate having survey results. It’s great input for guiding us as we move forward,” said Sandeen. ‌‌‌

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‘Bullets and Ballots’: UAA student’s essay featured in Forbes

PHOTOS COURTESY OF PHILLIP GRANATH

UAA student Phillip Granath’s experiences in Iraq changed his perspective on the responsibility to vote.

By Marie Ries

news@thenorthernlight.org

UAA student Phillip Granath’s award-winning essay “Bullets and Ballots: Voting Is Our Responsibility” was featured on the Forbes magazine

website. The English major won an essay contest put on during UAA’s first inaugural Democracy and Civic Action Week. ‌ Contestants had to respond to the question: Is voting a privilege, a right or responsibility? Granath argued for responsibility, drawing from his experienc-

es in Iraq as a bomb technician for the U.S. Air Force.‌ “In 2004, I got to be there [in Iraq] when an entire nation went to the polls for the first time in over 50 years,” Granath said. ‌ Roads were shut down for two days leading up to event due to fear of bomb attacks; and yet, the turnout was “overwhelming,” Granath remembers.‌ “There were over 100 attacks that day with over 40 people killed, and people were still coming out to vote,” Granath said.‌ Everywhere Granath went in the following days, people would hold up their stained fingers to show that they had voted.‌ “It became a symbol for them,” Granath said.‌ The elections took place in the last weeks of his deployment in Iraq. He left with the feeling they had accomplished something, Granath said, but it was not until years later that he realized the significance of his experience. ‌ “At the time, it didn’t have that much of an impact… I had a lot of other things on my mind,” Granath said.‌ It was the first time going to war for the then 22-year-old. When he went back to Iraq four years later, he decided not to use his absentee ballot for the presidential elections.‌ “I had the opportunity – I could have filled it out, I could have mailed it, but I didn’t... I was upset at the system,” Granath said. “I look back now and realize that this is complete-

ly wrong... In America, we’ve always had the ability to go out and vote as long as we can remember – so we just take it for granted. It’s not the same everywhere.”‌ Granath changed his perspective of voting reflecting on his experiences in Iraq 14 years ago.‌ “One of the things I realized the more I thought about it was I just wish that all the people that go out and vote… could even just have a shred of that type of pride in getting a say,” Granath said. “People fight, people risk their lives to be able to go out and have the opportunity to vote in free election. We’re very fortunate.”‌ Granath first learned about the essay contest in his public rhetoric class. As soon as he heard the prompt, he already knew how he would respond to it if he was to write it.‌ He first felt like he was “taking advantage” of memories which also belong to his fellow veterans. Granath’s wife convinced him to bring his ideas to paper.‌ “She pointed out that those are my memories, too... [She said,] ‘And if you don’t talk about them, nobody else is going to,’” Granath said.‌ English professor Jacqueline Cason organized the essay contest, which was open to both high school and college students. There were more than 100 submissions for the contest. She thinks that Democracy and Civic Action is going to develop

into an annual tradition. ‌ “We knew that it was going to be an election year with the midterms coming up ... and thought that [the prompt] would resonate with people,” Cason said. “But I think it is something that could work every year.”‌ The goal of the contest was to help people find their voice, Cason explained.‌ “Voting is one thing, but in many ways that’s a threshold activity. We were hoping that by getting people across that threshold and thinking about voting that they actually begin to think about a lot more – what their community means to them and what they care about – and that they would resolve to speak up,” Cason said.‌ She recruited a “diverse group” of people from the community as judges for the contest.‌ Judges included Lourdes Linato-Crawford, president of Bridge Builders Anchorage, and George Martinez, special assistant to Mayor Ethan Berkowitz. ‌ UAA student Nicholas Schwantes won the Informed Voter Award; Amber Brady from Eagle River High School won the Youth Voice Award in the high school division of the contest. Both received prizes of $250, respectively.‌ Granath received a prize of $500 in addition to having his essay published by Forbes. His full essay can be found on the website of Forbes magazine, forbes.com.‌

FEATURES

Dr. Kaoru Iokibe presents ‘Basic Elements of the Modern Japanese History’

Word of mouth: Anchorage’s take on Tuscan tastes

PHOTO COURTESY OF YIJIANG ZHONG FROM THE INSTITUTE OF ADVANCED STUDIES ON ASIA

By Chase Burnett

features2@thenorthernlight.org

Dr. Kaoru Iokibe is a professor at the University of Tokyo Graduate Schools for Law and Politics. His research focuses on the political and diplomatic history of modern Japan.‌ Iokibe presented “Distance, Time, Crossroads, and Expansion: Basic Elements of the Modern Japanese History” at the UAA bookstore on Nov. 8.‌ He believes to understand the evolution of modern Japanese history you must understand three fundamental factors: distance, time and crossroads.‌ The first fundamental factor is distance. Because of Japan’s distance from the pressing European and American powers in the 20th century, Iokibe identifies a pattern of behavior that he calls “upstream to origin.” With this pattern is the sentiment that because Japan is far from these pressing patterns, they have time to prepare for any threat that may be advancing towards them.‌ “Instead of preparing the military directly, the [Japanese government] decided that economy comes first,” Iokibe said. ‌ The people of Japan recognized the importance of each factor: economy, military, society, etc. and presented one factor to focus on in order to improve the others. This is what Iokibe describes as the “upstream to origin.”‌ The second fundamental factor is time. During the Iwakura mission, representatives from Japan traveled to the United States to learn about modernity and the

advancing Western world. They landed in San Francisco, experiencing their first encounter with a modern society.‌ As they traveled by train, they saw large cities shrink smaller and smaller into rural communities. They then grow larger and larger as they neared Chicago. This experience showed the Japanese representatives that progress was achievable but it would take time.‌ “A horizontal journey by train was a vertical journey of society,” Iokibe said.‌ The third factor is crossroads. In the middle of the 1850s world exhibitions were held and presented the Japanese with cultures and customs from a variety of Western countries.‌ “In Japanese leaders’ understanding, there’s a universal criteria for Western civilization, but to survive in this criteria they have to be unique,” Iokibe said.‌ The Japanese people were at an impasse. They saw the need to modernize to keep pace with the West, however they realized they could retain their tradition and history at the same time. This goal of progress created an obsession contributing to a sense of uneasiness. This eventually led to the rise of conservative ideas clashing with progressive ones.‌ Iokibe was asked if he felt like Japan’s traditions and culture was somewhat lost as the country progressed or if it had evolved.‌ “Japan is like a container, a vase. It can accept ideas from outside but still retains its shape, its core. Japan will always be Japan,” Iokibe said.‌‌

PHOTOS BY JOEY CARREON

By Joey Carreon

news2@thenorthernlight.org

When Mark Harlan worked overseas in Italy, the peculiar flavors of Italian cuisine swept him off his feet. Inspiration would soon become ambition, and with the support of longtime friend, Marco Terracciano, Marco T’s Pizzeria on Fireweed Lane was born in the summer of 2016. However, Terracciano never knew he was the namesake of Harlan’s pizzeria until some time after the pizzeria was open for business. He let Harlan continue to use his name if Harlan promised to ensure the food would retain the flavors of Terracciano’s hometown of Tuscany. Harlan obliged, and Marco T’s became Anchorage’s go-to destination to indulge in authentic, Italian flavors. ‌ However, Marco T’s Pizzeria is more than just a story. ‌ Every dish at Marco T’s is

made in-house and with love — from the sauces, to the dough, to the desserts — all of it. There are no gimmicks here, either; no fancy, over-the-top pizzas with ridiculous toppings – just good, Italian pizzas. ‌ Their menu features various antipasti (appetizers), insalate (salads), pizze, desserts and a fantastic alcohol selection featuring wine and local beers. ‌ Their gorgonzola-stuffed mushrooms appetizer, “Marco T’s” pizza (their signature margherita pizza), “Alaskan” pizza (reindeer sausage, onions and sweet peppers) and homemade gelato are all notable, popular menu items. ‌ However, being that Marco T’s brands themselves as a pizzeria, it’s no surprise their pizzas are the star of the show. With each pizza being individually sized at about 12 inches in diameter, one can comfortably enjoy their own pizza or even order multiple to share with friends. ‌

My favorite pizza is their “Marco T’s” pizza — aptly named, as it is a pizza worthy of being their signature. Their “Marco T’s” is essentially a margherita pizza, a simple, Italian classic. The “Marco T’s” features their signature tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, basil leaves and a drizzle of olive oil. ‌ As per Harlan’s vision, the “Marco T’s” pizza embodies why he fell in love with Italian pizza. The “Marco T’s” is a pizza that speaks for itself; the quality of each, simple ingredient to provide an unadulterated pizza experience. ‌ The crust is robust, yet light. Delicious, charred bits adorn the bottom of the crust and add a nice, roasted depth of flavor; the crust is thin, but holds its shape perfectly. The mozzarella is soft, moist and offers a mild taste which complements the acidity of their tomato sauce perfectly. Made in house, the tomato sauce boasts savory, pure tomato flavor. Slicing through the crust, cheese and sauce, leaves of basil offer a freshness whose contrast marries nicely with the other ingredients. The pizza is finished with grated parmesan cheese, offering a salty bite to round out the flavors. ‌ When the pizza is delivered to your table, it is served alongside two bottles of olive oil and a bottle of balsamic vinegar. ‌ The olive oils are a must. I recommend their olive oil infused with garlic. Drizzling the “Marco T’s” with the garlic olive oil intensifies the flavors of the pizza, as the oil coats the inside of the mouth with the harmonized flavors of the pizza.‌ Like pizza found in Italy, my experience with Marco T’s pizza is exactly as the owner intended: a delicious pizza made with fresh ingredients that won’t make you feel heavy and sluggish afterwards. This is a testament to the quality of ingredients and care taken when preparing each dish.‌ It’s obvious that Harlan has incorporated authentic, Italian flavors in his menu. What’s even more obvious is that he has injected each dish with the inspiration that captivated him during his time in Italy.‌ From the food, to the menu, to the ambiance, Marco T’s Pizzeria is a manifestation of Harlan’s passion for Italian flavors. Humbly located on Fireweed Lane, I humbly give Marco T’s Pizzeria my utmost recommendation.‌

FEATURES

Midterm elections: UAA community weighs in before, after By Robin O’Donoghue features@thenorthernlight.org

On Election Day last week, I asked five members of the UAA community five questions about how they voted. Each participant was also asked to predict election outcomes, then asked to reflect on election results the following day. ‌‌ Grace Kubitz voted for Mark Begich (D) for governor, Alyse Galvin (D) for Congress, Matt Claman (D) for House District 21, Sam Cason (D) for Senate District K and “yes” on Ballot Measure 1.‌ Kubitz, who just moved back to Alaska after obtaining her undergraduate degree out of state, is currently pursuing a master’s in public administration at UAA. Kubitz, a supporter of Begich, explained that she was drawn to his platform largely by his support for women’s rights and a constitutional PFD.‌‌ PREDICTIONS‌ “I think if Begich wins, it will be very close,” said Kubitz.‌ On local elections, Kubitz was also confident in Claman’s chances of being re-elected in the House but less hopeful about Cason’s bid for Senate District K.‌‌ REFLECTIONS‌ After the election, Kubitz was disappointed.‌ “I was surprised at the margin at which [Dunleavy] won… I was also surprised at the low number of people who voted for Governor Walker,” she said. “I was expecting more votes to be lost there.”‌ Kubitz was also disappointed about the congressional race and Ballot Measure 1.‌ “Alaska has this obsession with Don Young… I don’t understand it, but I think that [Galvin] really gave him a [run] for his money and made him nervous, so that’s something,” she said.‌

“I think going up against oil companies and all the money that they have… I’m really not surprised,” Kubitz said about Ballot Measure 1.‌ On the new Dunleavy administration, Kubitz was unsure about the PFDs.‌ “I don’t think people are going to get the PFDs that they lost back… I think that will be a point of contention between the people and the new governor,” she said.‌‌ Jaydon Hodgson, a senior studying political science, voted for Begich, Galvin, Charles Kopp (R) for House District 24 and “no” on Ballot Measure 1.‌ Hodgson initially supported Gov. Walker before he dropped out of the race but ultimately voted for Begich.‌ Hodgson was drawn to Galvin by her platform on health care.‌ “I’ve interned in Congressman Young’s office… but I don’t really like that Don Young doesn’t look at nationalized health care policies like [Galvin] does,” he said.‌ Hodgson supported Kopp in his re-election campaign for a few reasons. ‌ “The main issue with the state this year is SB 91... [Kopp] was fairly bipartisan in [drafting] that legislation,” he said. “I liked that, and I like how he worked closely with Democrats on like a middle ground approach.”‌‌ PREDICTIONS‌ Hodgson predicted Begich would win by a slim margin.‌ “I think it will be very narrow, like half and half,” he said.‌ Hodgson also predicted Galvin would beat Young.‌ “I really like Alyse Galvin. I’d be saddened if she lost, but I don’t think it’s going to be the end of the world,” Hodgson said.‌ When it came to Ballot Measure 1, Hodgson predicted the initiative would be “voted against heavily.”‌‌ REFLECTIONS‌

After the election Hodgson shared his thoughts.‌ “I think it will be better for the Republican Party — the state itself possibly — because the Republicans control the State House, [Senate] and governorship… Basically, they can do what they want,” Hodgson said.‌ Hodgson was also not surprised by the failure of Ballot Measure 1.‌ “I think it lost because you had major money backing [the ‘no’ campaign]... That can’t be a coincidence there,” he said.‌ Yet, Hodgson is optimistic about the future.‌ “In two more years, [we] can elect people who are better. I don’t think it’s going to be terrible.”‌‌ Chaz Rivas voted for Mike Dunleavy (R) for governor, Don Young (R) for Congress, Connie Dougherty (R) for House District 23 and “no” on Ballot Measure 1.‌ Rivas, who graduated from UAA this past spring, served as campaign manager for Sarah Rasmussen (R) in her bid for House District 22. On election night, Rivas was optimistic.‌ “Statewide, I think that the Republicans are going to do very well,” said Rivas. ‌‌ PREDICTIONS‌ Rivas predicted Dunleavy would win and that Republicans would retake the House. On the congressional race, Rivas had reservations but predicted Young would overcome his challenger.‌ “If anybody could beat [Young], [Galvin] is going to be the closest, but I don’t think that she’s going to cross the finish line,” Rivas said.‌‌ REFLECTIONS‌ “I thought maybe it would be closer, but with Walker dropping out only three weeks before the election, that’s not enough time... to create a coordinate effort,” Rivas said on the gubernatorial election.‌

On the congressional race, Rivas also shared his thoughts. ‌ “I thought it would be a little closer since [Galvin] was pretty energized… but Independent candidates did very poorly this election,” Rivas said. ‌ For Rivas, there was one major takeaway from the election cycle.‌ “I think Alaskans are fully expecting 100 percent that [Republicans] repeal and replace SB 91… Crime is the number one thing Republicans have to get a grip on,” Rivas said.‌‌ Maggie Lamborn, a junior studying political science, voted for Begich, Galvin and “no” on Ballot Measure 1. ‌ Lamborn gravitated towards Galvin largely due to her platform on affordable health care.‌ “That’s a big issue from a personal standpoint,” Lamborn said.‌‌ PREDICTIONS‌ “I’d like to think Begich has it in the bag. I would be sad if Dunleavy won,” Lamborn said.‌ For Ballot Measure 1, Lamborn confidently predicted a majority “yes” vote.‌ “That’s going to pass. The amount of people I’ve seen picketing for it makes me super happy,” she said.‌‌ REFLECTIONS‌ Lamborn had thoughts on voters’ outing of Judge Michael Corey.‌ “I was amazed that [Judge] Corey got kicked out. I didn’t think that it would happen... It means Alaskans were paying attention,” said Lamborn.‌ “I’m sad Dunleavy won… I wish he hadn’t,” she also said. “I’m not heartbroken that Don Young won even though I voted for [Galvin].”‌ For Lamborn, the failure of Ballot Measure 1 was a personal disappointment.‌ “[The outcome was] heartbreaking, and you would think Alaskans would care about their natural resources,” said Lam-

born.‌‌ Megan Warren, a political science major, voted for Begich, Galvin, Amber Lee (D) for House District 28 and “yes” on Ballot Measure 1.‌ Warren strongly opposed Dunleavy for his proposed ideas for “hub-schools” in rural communities. ‌ “Begich has always been supportive of indigenous people, so that was a big factor in my vote,” Warren said. ‌‌ PREDICTIONS‌ “I want to say that [Galvin] and Begich will win… I think it’s more likely for [Galvin] to win than Begich. His late entrance into the race was a big disadvantage,” Warren said.‌ Additionally, Warren was hoping to see a movement against the Trump administration. ‌ “I feel that a lot of the policies they’ve initiated have not been beneficial for minority populations... They’ve been actively oppressive to communities like the trans community and the gay community,” she said.‌‌ REFLECTIONS‌ After the election, Warren was disappointed mostly by the overwhelming “no” vote on Ballot Measure 1.‌ “We’ve had so many salmon crises in the last five-10 years… We should really value subsistence resources and the cultural traditions of indigenous people,” she said.‌ “I don’t think Dunleavy and Don Young care about our environment,” she added.‌ On the congressional race, Warren was also disappointed but not surprised. ‌ “There was such a wave of women being elected in this midterm, and I really really thought that Galvin could be one of them... Alaska’s just not there yet,” she said.‌‌

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Local Alaskan artist to showcase unique medium in ARC Gallery By Caleigh Jensen arts2@thenorthernlight.org

PHOTOS COURTESY OF CAROL LAMBERT

“Authorized” by Carol Lambert.

“The Green Man” by Carol Lambert.

Carol Lambert, an Alaskan resident since 1979 and an artist much earlier, is a prominent figure in the Alaskan printmaking community and is bringing her expertise to the university. ‌ “Wily Women and Other Survivors,” featuring prints exclusively by Lambert, is the newest exhibition to be featured in the ARC Gallery in the UAA/ APU Consortium Library. The exhibition includes a variety of images, including women, men and animals such as horses, that portray a theme of survival.‌ Inspiration for the pieces and title of the exhibition came from Lambert’s history of working with survivors and being one herself.‌ “I know how inventive and strategic and clever women have to be to survive, so the ‘Wily Women’ part of the title is because that’s what I know,” she said. “The ‘Other Survivors’ part refers to the fact that that’s really true of everyone and every being that’s alive to some degree.”‌ Because of the variety of messages each image carries with it, Lambert believes that viewers can really connect with her work in unique ways.‌ “I hope that viewers can make up their own story to go with each of the images and recognize themselves or something

in their experience that connects to that image,” she said. “My work is meant to be poetic and metaphoric… But some of the images are a bit humorous.”‌ Inspired by her grandfather’s political cartoons and other 20th century cartoonists at a young age, Lambert went on to receive a Bachelor of Arts in both art and art history from Brown University. After a period of not being able to pursue art as much as she liked, Lambert took up painting again in her 50s, which eventually brought her back to printmaking.‌ “Printmaking is really a passion of mine, and I have so much to learn as a printmaker, so it keeps me engaged,” she said. “I just like the character of the lines and how much you can express with a little bit of squiggle.”‌ Riva Symko, curator of UAA’s Kimura Gallery and manager of the ARC Gallery, appreciates Lambert’s skill and attention to detail in her work, as well as her unique medium. She feels that her artwork positively reflects the mission of the ARC Gallery.‌ “It is important to us to keep the gallery focused on professional Alaskan artists who are dedicated to developing their skill set in a professional way,” Symko said. “[Lambert] is a really skilled and dedicated printmaker. She has a good sense of lines and figures, and I think her work is interesting and has skillful content.”‌

This is Lambert’s first show made up entirely of prints. All of the pieces in the exhibition are made from a process called intaglio etching, a technique more than 400 years old. The prints first start as drawings, which are then transferred to copper plates. The image is drawn into the copper with a sharp tool, then immersed into a mixture that bites away at the copper, leaving ditches for the ink to fill. The plate, covered in ink, is then run under a high pressure roller, picking up the image from the ink in the ditches.‌ Many of the pieces in the exhibition have been a work in progress for a year or two, and Lambert encourages young artists to let the often lengthy artmaking process inspire rather than discourage them.‌ “I’ve spent a lot of time over my life going to museums, and they never get old for me. There are paintings that I could go back to over and over and over again. It feels like I’m checking my mail, and the mail always said, ‘Don’t give up,’” she said. “You never know quite what you’re doing until you’re done.”‌ “Wily Women and Other Survivors” will open on Nov. 14. and run until Dec. 21 in the ARC Gallery, located between the UAA/APU Consortium Library and Kaladi Brothers Cafe in UAA’s Social Science Building. An opening reception will be held in the gallery on Nov. 16 from 4:30 - 7 p.m.‌‌‌

CRAFT: ‘Just because you graduate doesn’t mean you’re done with Tri Sigma’ Continued from cover sorority after graduation.‌ “Alumnae life isn’t as big up here in Alaska as it is in the Lower 48, so it was a good way to show us that just because you graduate doesn’t mean you’re done with Tri Sigma overall, just your Collegiate Chapter,” Kelley said. “We always say, ‘It’s not for four years, it’s for life,’ and

the event really showed that to our members.”‌ The Tri Sigma Holiday Bazaar raised over $1,700 for the sorority last year. Due to its success, the event won a national Tri Sigma award for the Single Outstanding National Program of the Year. Collins hopes to continue this success during this year’s event and in the future.‌ “I think Greek life can get

a bad rap sometimes and having this bazaar and being in the public eye with the good things we are doing and the ways we are helping the community is a chance for us to change that,” she said.‌ The second annual Tri Sigma Holiday Bazaar will take place on Nov. 17 from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. at Aquarian Charter School on 1705 W. 32nd Ave.‌‌‌

PHOTO COURTESY OF AMIE COLLINS

Anchorage Alumnae members sell their wares at the Tri Sigma Holiday Bazaar.

SPORTS

THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2018

Women’s basketball loses first game against Division I competition By Lauren Cuddihy sports@thenorthernlight.org

After a summer exhibition in Taiwan that gave the team a chance to acclimate to new players, the UAA women’s basketball team was back in action with their first regular season game against NCAA Division I competitor Duke. ‌ The Seawolves returned to competition with the addition of four new faces and a new assistant coach. Many standout players and three experienced coaches returned to the team, including head coach Ryan McCarthy.‌ Joining the Seawolves were two Div. I transfers and two freshmen. Cameron Fernandez and Jeneva Toilolo came to UAA with ample collegiate experience; however, despite their experience they did not play in the starting game against Duke. ‌ Kimani Fernandez-Roy and Jahnna Hajdukovich came to UAA as true freshmen, both getting a chance to play in the first game. ‌ Fernandez-Roy spent ample time on the court against Duke; however, her 14 minutes only allowed her to attempt three field goals and one 3-pointer with no success. She did manage to steal two rebounds. ‌ On the other hand, Hajdukovich only played for three

PHOTO COURTESY OF ANDY MEAD

Stallworth made three field goals, one 3-pointer and two free throws in her only 15 minutes of playing time.

minutes, which did not give her enough time to make any contributions. ‌ Getting the majority of the action were five of the returners who played as starters for the game. ‌ Hannah Wandersee, Tara Thompson, Kian Mcnair, Yazmeen Goo and Sala Langi all started the Seawolves and led the team. ‌ Goo, a junior guard, made the biggest contribution to the team with the accumulation of 13 points. She made five field goals, two 3-pointers, one free throw and two rebounds. ‌

Trailing behind her was nonstarter, senior Sydni Stallworth and Thompson, who each added nine points for UAA.‌ Stallworth made three field goals, one 3-pointer and two free throws in her only 15 minutes of playing time, nearly half the time of the starters. ‌ Mcnair also added to the Seawolves tally with the addition of seven points. ‌ With their combined efforts, the Seawolves made a total of 59 field goal attempts, 32 3-pointer attempts and seven free throw attempts. ‌ In comparison, UAA’s 32

3-pointer attempts masked Duke’s 12 attempts. ‌ Despite their efforts and attempts, the Seawolves fell far behind Duke. In the first period, UAA held the lead for all of 12 seconds until Duke took over and inched their lead farther away from the Seawolves.‌ In the first period alone, Duke nearly doubled the score of the Seawolves. With the Seawolves accumulating 17 points, Duke masked their contributions with a total of 29 points. ‌ UAA’s deficit continued until it was maxed out in the third period with a 24-point lead by

Duke. However, both teams evened out by accumulating 15 points each in the third period which slowed Duke’s lead. ‌ The Seawolves managed two points less than Duke in the fourth period, solidifying an addition of 12 more points to their score, but with an already large deficit, the Seawolves weren’t able to manage much redemption. ‌ With a 21-point deficit, the Seawolves suffered their first loss of the season at 54-75. ‌ Coach McCarthy knew their competition was tough, so he was just aiming for individual achievement and progress. ‌ “Against an opponent like Duke, any mistake that you make gets turned into points, so we had to hold ourselves to a high standard. In the first half we didn’t do that, but in the second half we did a much better job of executing our game plan and playing to the standard of our program,” McCarthy said. ‌ The Seawolves will transition back into home games with the Seawolf Hoops Classic. This tournament is taking place at the Alaska Airlines Center over Nov. 16-17. ‌ For more information and a full schedule, visit www.goseawolves.com. ‌

Seawolves suffer one loss, earn one win against GNAC rivals By Lauren Cuddihy sports@thenorthernlight.org

On Nov. 8, the UAA volleyball team traveled to Ellensburg, Washington to compete against rivals Central Washington. They continued on to meet Northwest Nazarene on the court on Saturday, Nov. 10. ‌ Central Washington is currently ahead of the Seawolves in the Great Northwest Athletic rankings while Northwest Nazarene is trailing behind significantly. ‌ At No. 2, CWU has 15 conference wins and four losses, the Seawolves sit at No. 3 with a 13-6 record, while NNU nears the end of the list at No. 9 with just six wins, accompanied by 13 losses. ‌ Against Central Washington, the Seawolves came close on all three sets but didn’t catch up quickly enough. Although the 3-0 (23-25, 19-25, 22-25) game added another loss to their record, several of the individuals found the ability to excel throughout the game.‌ With the first point of the game and the first three for UAA by freshman Eve Stephens, she continued to lead the Seawolves’

offense for the remainder of the night. ‌ By the end of the night, Stephens had accumulated nine kills with just two errors, solidifying a .389 percent, the highest for the Seawolves. However, despite Stephens’ efforts, her percent was still masked by CWU’s Makala Swart with a .583. ‌ Trailing behind Stephens, senior Tara Melton also accumulated nine kills, but with four errors, leading her to a .312 average. Also with nine kills was junior Vanessa Boyer, followed by senior Chrisalyn Johnson with eight. ‌ Freshman setter Ellen Floyd also maxed out with assists, solidifying 22 by the end of the night, two more than sophomore Casey Davenport’s 20 assists. ‌ On the defensive side of things, both Johnson and sophomore Anjoilyn Vreeland each accumulated 14 digs. ‌ Despite their best efforts, the Seawolves still suffered a loss, pushing them down on the NCAA Division II West Region rankings to No. 10. ‌ The Seawolves were able to get a chance to redeem themselves on Saturday, Nov. 10 against GNAC No. 10 Northwest Nazarene. ‌

“You know, anytime a team comes in as the underdog they’re going to serve tough, so we’re used to that, and we as a team serve tough to each other, so we’re used to the tough serves coming at us,” Green said.‌ In another close call, the Seawolves were able to come out on top after a competitive four sets.‌ With a 4-point lead and a 9-point lead, the Seawolves overtook NNU for both the first and second set, respectively. ‌ In the first set, UAA had an impressive .312 attack percentage which only improved to a .333 percent in the second set, a significant advantage over NNU’s .128 and .036 percentages. ‌ The Seawolves’ offensive success was once again led by freshman Stephens, who ended the game with a .560 attack percentage after accumulating 14 kills for UAA. ‌ Similarly, Boyer and Johnson played their part in the offensive schematics of the night with 10 kills each. ‌ “Transitioning to outside was definitely hard and learning how to do the timing with the super high balls, but in practice we have been having a lot of long rallies,” Boyer said. “So, that

PHOTOS COURTESY OF SKIP HICKEY

Tara Melton and Ellen Floyd celebrate a point against NNU.

Eve Stephens attempts a tip against CWU.

has really helped getting off transition and being able to hit multiple times.”‌ As the night continued the Seawolves slowly lost their momentum from 19 kills in set one to 12 in set two, 14 in set three and then 10 in set four. ‌ Their win streak kept until the third set when Northwest Nazarene took over. In an overtime match, the Seawolves suf-

fered their only set loss of the match at 25-27. ‌ UAA earned their redemption in the final set of the night with a 25-14 winning, leading them to an overall 3-1 win. ‌ This was the final regular season game for the Seawolves. For the teams qualified to play in the NCAA Championships, visit www.ncaa.com.‌

SPORTS

Men’s basketball earns big win on the Big Island of Hawaii By Emily Medina

sports2@thenorthernlight.org

Two teams from Alaska, UAA and UAF, both traveled to the Big Island this past weekend to compete against two Hawaiian teams, Hawaii Pacific University and Chaminade University. After a 12-hour plane ride to Honolulu, the men’s basketball team faced Hawaii Pacific University on Friday, Nov. 9. ‌ Two fouls from Tyler Brimhall early in the game gave Hawaii Pacific University the lead in the first half. Despite the fouls, which put Hawaii Pacific University behind the three point line multiple times, UAA put up a fight and both teams were tied by the eight minute mark.‌ Junior Niko Bevens was able to score 28 of the 38 points for UAA in the beginning of the game. Hawaii Pacific, on the other hand, came out with a total of 45 points at the end of the first half.‌ This is Bevens’ first season

PHOTO COURTESY OF SKIP HICKEY

The men’s basketball team has had only one loss so far this season.

on the team after previously playing at North Idaho College his freshman year and in Montana his sophomore year. During his sophomore year, he and his team won the Big Sky Conference and made their way to the NCAA Division I Tournament.‌ Bevens is now tied for first as

most 3-pointers made by a Seawolf during one half of a game. He is tied with Casey Robinson who also made seven 3-pointers during a match against Western Oregon in 2011.‌ HPU maintained their lead at the beginning of the second half. However, a comeback was

quickly started thanks to Jack Macdonald, Brimhall and Pearson.‌ Soon after the eight-minute mark, Pearson was able to sink two buckets and finally put UAA in the lead with a score of 62 - 61. After gaining the lead, the Seawolves made sure to maintain it

and ended with a free throw by Brennan Rymer, which made for a final score of 83 - 79.‌ One of the team captains, Matt Seymour, had insight of the strengths and weaknesses facing the team this season.‌ “I think we have a good chemistry,” said Seymour. “We’ve formed a really strong bond the few weeks we’ve been practicing. I think defensively will be the hardest part, but we’re getting better.”‌ The men’s basketball team will be preparing for the Seawolf Jamboree hosted at the Alaska Airlines Center this upcoming weekend.‌ The men’s team will be competing Friday at 5 p.m. against Northwood University and on Saturday at 5 p.m. against Lake Superior State University. UAF will also be there. Purchasing one ticket for either Friday or Saturday will give you entry to all four games at the jamboree.‌ To purchase tickets and for all things seawolves be sure to check out goseawolves.com ‌‌

Bowling Green beats Seawolves with first and only shot By Emily Medina

sports2@thenorthernlight.org

The UAA hockey team hosted Bowling Green State University this past weekend for two consecutive games both Friday and Saturday nights. ‌ Bowling Green has won six games and lost two so far this season. Comparatively, UAA has lost five games and has won two. Maybe opposites will attract?‌ Nicholas Erb-Ekholm was sent to the penalty box at the beginning of the game for tripping. This left Drayson Pears, Cam Amantea, Tanner Schachle, Tomi Hiekkavirta, Corey Renwick and Brody Claeys on the ice to start off the first period.‌

Neither team had scored 13 minutes into the game, and the goalie for Bowling Green, Eric Dop, had already blocked nine shots from UAA. Amantea was sent to the penalty box soon thereafter for unsportsmanlike conduct and roughing.‌ By the end of the first period, UAA’s goalie, Brody Claeys, had blocked seven shots against Bowling Green. Claeys is a sophomore and had a blocking percentage of .898 during his freshman year.‌ UAA’s Jeremiah Luedtke was sent to the penalty box for hooking, and Bowling Green’s Alec Rauhauser was sent to the penalty box for holding the stick not even two minutes in to the second

period.‌ Bowling Green was averaging a PIM of 3/6 while UAA was averaging at 5/10. ‌ Claeys was still in goal and continued to block shots eight minutes into the second period while the score stayed 0-0.‌ UAA finished the second period with another 12 shots on goal while Bowling Green increased by two and had a final amount of nine.‌ There were still no points made by either team eight minutes into the third and final period. ‌ Trey deGraaf was leading the Seawolves at that point in amount of shots on goal with four. ‌ Almost every other player had already taken at least one shot by then

PHOTO COURTESY OF SKIP HICKEY

Malcolm Hayes attempted two shots on goal during the game against Bowling Green on Nov. 9.

in order to make up for the 31 total shots on goal for UAA.‌ The first penalty of the last quarter happened about halfway through when UAA’s Tanner Schachie was seen boarding an opposing player.‌ With no points made by the end of the third quarter the game went into overtime. Claeys was able to block four shots made by Bowling Green within those five minutes while Dop only had to block one

shot made by Rygaard.‌ However, no one scored and the game went into double overtime and five minutes were put back on the clock. Bowling Green finally put the game to sleep by scoring with 2:40 left on the clock.‌ With this being his first year as head coach, Matt Curley is determined to improve the overall performance of the team.‌ “I have been really happy with the progress and the development of our

team to this point,” said Curley. “I am confident that with their attitude and work ethic that this is the start of that change and that we will see our progress as the season moves forward.”‌ The hockey team will be traveling to Northern Michigan University this upcoming week. Their next home game won’t be until the first weekend of the new year at Sullivan Arena.‌

OPINION

THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2018

A more agreeable A plan to save America’s democracy Alcohol Beverage Control Board By Robert Hockema opinion@thenorthernlight.org

By Ben Edwards

opinion2@thenorthernlight.org

Matt Kibbe, president of the nonprofit Free the People, once told me that beer is freedom. He posited that the alcoholic beverages industry is an unexpectedly useful gauge for a free market. The more flexibility a brewery, vintner or distillery has to experiment and serve a creative product, the freer the market. As it so happens, various states in this country have wildly draconian laws pertaining to the licensing, manufacture and sale of alcohol. Much of that is leftover from the U.S. Prohibition Era, but even younger states like Alaska caught the bug. Alaska’s Alcohol Beverage Control Board is a regulatory and quasi-judicial agency which operates as part of the Alcohol & Marijuana Control Office. The ABC Board is responsible for managing licenses across the state’s numerous alcohol-serving businesses. The board’s five members interpret state law to the best of their ability and issue approvals or rejections to businesses attempting to obtain or renew a license. Trying to interpret state law when business owners’ investments are at stake is an unenviable burden. Law can never be written to perfectly encompass every possible situation, so technicalities in the wording can make or break a business owner’s license. For example, the ABC Board rejected a license application from The Old Tower Bar at Eaglecrest Ski Area in Juneau on Oct. 15. The reason cited was that state law defines a recreational license as one where baseball games, car races, hockey games, dog sled racing events or curling matches are regularly held during a season. Ski areas are not included in that. Technicalities like that seem to be trivial, but they have real effects on small business owners. Abby Williams, a business partner in The Old Tower Bar, said that she and the City of Juneau invested almost $40,000 in the project before the ABC Board’s rejection. She said that it

would not be financially feasible to pursue a different type of license. Although the ABC Board must work using state law, it can be surprisingly elastic when it comes to public interest. For example, the board approved an application by the Arctic Valley Ski Area of Anchorage, even though it possessed many of the same circumstances as the rejected The Old Tower Bar application. In this case, the ABC Board considered the public interest in their decision. Arctic Valley Ski Area was applying for a renewal, so rejecting it would cause a disruption among the established customers. The debate here is between two sides: those who believe the ABC Board should strictly follow the wording of legal statutes, and those who believe it should evaluate circumstantially with the public interest in mind. I argue for the latter. The board should exercise flexibility as it evaluates each license. It should do so with an appreciation of the free market, which allows for the easy establishment, expansion and continuum of private businesses to sell alcohol. The law is incredibly imperfect and fails to predict or adapt to circumstances. There are powerful detractors to this argument. Namely, the lawmakers themselves in the Alaska State Legislature. They audited the ABC Board and chastised them for issuing licenses inconsistently with legal statutes. But the legislature is overestimating the breadth of its laws. Incomplete or absent language in those laws clearly harms Alaskan small businesses. The ABC Board can mitigate this by considering public interest over the exact language of the law. The Old Tower Bar would have been in the public interest just as much as any other recreational establishment. Another example of why the ABC Board needs to prioritize public interest over exact law can be found in the distillery controversy this year. The board voted to adopt new regulations that would ban distilleries from serving cocktails in January. This was based off a recommendation by the Department of Law, which decreed that a distillery’s product for sale must only be a distilled spirit. That does not include ingredients for drink mixing, like tonic, syrup or juice. Curiously, the rule allowed distilleries to provide mixers separately. This led to an inconvenient but humorous situation where a bartender could legally serve a gin and a tonic next to each other, and the customer can mix the two, but the bartender breaks the law if he or she mixes it. This rule was reversed in October when the Alaska Legislature passed Senate Bill 45, allowing distilleries to create cocktails. The lesson here is that the ABC Board cannot reasonably rely on the legislature to write comprehensive law nor can it just wait until the legislature clarifies the ambiguity its laws produce. The welfare of Alaskan small business owners is at stake. The board must evaluate licensing with the public interest in mind. That means deferring to the small business owner and the community being served.‌

By the time the 2018 midterms had wrapped up, everyone had won some and lost some. Republicans fell to the minority in the United States House of Representatives after predictably losing a handful of seats to Democratic insurgents. The Democratic Party also helped make history by electing a record number of women to Congress, including the first Muslim-American and Native American members ever. Likewise, Republicans had plenty to celebrate. Not only did they retain control of the U.S Senate as expected, but they also strengthened their majority by flipping a few seats. In Alaska, Republicans claimed a sweeping victory up and down the ballot: the governor’s and U.S. House seat, as well as the State House and Senate, look to be completely under their control. In addition to that, Ballot Measure 1 was swiftly defeated. Besides any individual office, there was one notable loser: the American voter. That’s because year after year, the wealthiest democracy in the world continues to make voting one of the hardest things to do. In Georgia and North Dakota, state governments worked hard to deny thousands of citizens the vote. Georgia’s mass purge of voter rolls in the lead up to the election — carried out by the Secretary of State running in the 2018 governor’s race — undoubtedly affected the very close races for governor and U.S. Senate. So did the 53,000 voter registrations that were put on hold, most of which were predominantly black voters. As if that wasn’t enough, election day in Georgia was plagued by extremely long lines and technical errors that forced counties to extend voting times into the late hours of the night. Other states saw similar accounts of voter suppression, including North Dakota’s recently approved voter ID rules that excluded thousands of Native Americans living on reservations from voting. More broadly, states across the U.S. have added limitations on voting. Since 2011, seven states have limited voters’ ability to cast their ballot early. More states have arbitrarily purged voter rolls since parts of the Voting Rights Act were struck down in 2013. On top of wide-scale voter suppression, voting is a convoluted and timeconsuming process for many Americans. According to a United States Census Bureau survey of 19 million registered voters who didn’t vote in 2016, 14 percent of respondents cited busy schedules as a reason for not voting. Many employers don’t give time off for people to vote,

forcing many who don’t have the luxury of taking unpaid time off work to miss out on elections that fall on weekdays. Together, these barriers to voting act as an assault on the right of Americans to participate in their democracy. Notably, communities of color and the poor are uniquely disenfranchised by systemic and socioeconomic barriers, just as they always have been. Luckily, there are policies that governments at every level can work to implement in order to rectify this injustice. State legislatures and the chambers of Congress should act on these policies immediately. The first policy is simple: make Election Day a holiday. There’s no reason Americans should have the make the choice between losing out on paid hours and fulfilling their civic obligation. Why not just give everyone the day off so they can vote? The second is to implement a national automatic voter registration (AVR) law. Instead of requiring that citizens opt-in to voting by actively registering, AVR would automatically use the information you use to sign up for a driver’s license to register you to vote. Some 15 states have already adopted this policy, including Alaska, which signs you up as soon as you apply for a PFD. The third and final policy would require a more fundamental change in government. It’s clear that politicians and courts are unequipped to protect voters from mass disenfranchisement. Thus, to stop voter suppression, the government should create a series of independent federal oversight commissions to handle claims of unfair voting practices. The commission would likely be appointed by a combination of state legislatures, governors and voters. The task of these commissions would be to handle claims from voters and organizations with evidence of voter disenfranchisement. That includes, but is not limited to, early voting cutbacks, voters being turned away at the polls and “faulty” election machines. The commission would then have the power to interview election monitors and government officials and eventually determine whether the election was conducted fairly. Should a claim be verified by the commission, a host of powers would be granted at their disposal, including the ability to force counties to hold another election under revised conditions. For too long, we’ve relied on the goodfaith of politicians to uphold the integrity of elections. Blatant disenfranchisement in Georgia and North Dakota makes the clear case for systemic change — and soon.‌

OPINION

The lesson of Kony 2012 Student fee increases are unfair to students

By Robert Hockema opinion@thenorthernlight.org

On Oct. 29, students attended a forum at the Student Union on proposed increases to mandatory student fees. A variety of departments on campus made their case for hikes to their respective fees, arguing that a combination of budget deficits and declines in student revenues justify modest changes. Understandably, departments need to ask for increases to reach their proposed goals. The problem is that in many of these cases, the fees we pay as students are unjustified or too high in the very first place. Take Parking Services, the first department that spoke at the forum, who is asking for a $6 dollar increase to the transportation fee. Though it’s important that shuttle services and the U-Pass remain operative, it’s unclear why asking for a higher fee is necessary. The parking passes Parking Services distributes are already grossly overpriced, and parking enforcement draws in big bucks each year. Perhaps it would be more responsible to redistribute the money they take in towards the services they need to continue funding, rather than continue increasing fees for students. Student Activities also made their pitch for a $1.50 increase. Given that Student Activities already has the funds they need to meet their goals and hold events for students — as they admitted during the student forum — a fee increase would be a waste of student dollars. The point is this: when budget cuts are hitting departments all across campus,

the decision to increase fees should come down to whether or not those departments need an increase to function rather than an increase to improve already existing services. Additionally, there’s plenty of fees we’re already paying that could be reduced or eliminated entirely. Student Government and Student Media, while important for facilitating an active campus climate, are taking in way more than they need to operate at a legitimate capacity. Encouraging student clubs to keep the university connected would go a long way towards doing the same, if not more, as both of these organizations. Other fees are outright unnecessary. Items like the $8 dollar ePortfolio Services, the $3 dollar UAA Green Fee, and individual course labs should be an opt-in fees, especially when most students don’t utilize (in the case of (ePortfolio and labs) or benefit from (UAA Green Fee) the services in the first place. To some degree, the student fee debate is similar to that of funding government services. If we made public education, infrastructure and government services an “opt-in” system, government would probably fall apart. But student fees are different in the sense that many services we pay for are not necessary for the basic needs of a student. It should not be the duty of UAA students to fork over money for things that are helpful but not essential to their education. The unfairness of this is amplified by the fact that tuition and general education costs have already squeezed students’ pocketbooks since the Alaska state fiscal crisis began in 2013. Tuition hikes and student fee increases? That’s simply not fair. Moreover, the fiscal crisis that’s put many of these departments in jeopardy is coming to an end. Oil prices are climbing again, meaning the Alaska State Legislature will have little need to slash university budgets again anytime soon. We should err on the side of preparedness but not by hiking our fees without a good justification. Instead, we should talk about how we can restructure, reduce or even cut fees that contribute towards already high education costs for UAA students. Until then, there should be no talk of continuing to waste the dollars of already cashstrapped students.

By Ben Edwards

opinion2@thenorthernlight.org

It all started with a YouTube video. The small California-based NGO Invisible Children, Inc. published a short film titled KONY 2012 on March 5, 2012. It introduced a serious humanitarian problem that few Americans were aware of at the time. Joseph Kony, a Ugandan warlord for the Lord’s Resistance Army, was actively involved in a series of human rights violations, including the conscription of child soldiers. The goal of the video was to make Kony and his LRA famous, to place him amidst other well-known villains like Adolf Hitler and Osama bin Laden. To that extent, KONY 2012 exceeded expectations. It received over 100 million views and garnered attention from George Clooney and President Obama. But what did it actually achieve? More than six years later, the LRA continues to terrorize and there’s no updated information about Kony himself. Children in the Sub-Sahara continue to be conscripted into rebel armies. Gen. Thomas Waldhauser, commander of the U.S. Africa Command, wrote in a testimony to Congress that the LRA is still active and threatening. The dense rainforests between Uganda and the Congo Basin provide excellent cover for the LRA, and the Ugandan government has decided to withdraw operations against Kony. Even Invisible Children had to wind down operations. It closed its San Diego headquarters, reduced staff and discharged its operations in Africa. Difficulty with fundraising was cited as the reason. The organization’s leadership expected a complete cessation of the NGO as early as 2015. The failure of Kony 2012 teaches a lesson about effective activism. Participating in the media frenzy was incredibly popular in 2012. Millions of people were eager to write hashtags, overlay profile pictures, share posts and give likes on Facebook. Millions of people were activists so long as they didn’t have to do any real action. That was the problem. Think of contributors to NGOs as investors. People inside and outside of the NGO invest money or labor to achieve that NGO’s mission. The most effective

NGOs are supported by a group of highquality investors. These are people who have a stake in the mission. They donate money and closely track how the NGO uses it. They measure progress and provide feedback. Low-quality investors are more interested in association than participation. They want to be associated with #StopKony, but they don’t want to donate or work on it. Evidence for this can be found in the Cover the Night event, which was set for April 20, 2012. Some 3.5 million people in cities around the world pledged to turn out on that day and blanket public spaces with Kony posters. Actual turnout was dismal. Nineteen-thousand people indicated that they would turn out for Sydney’s Cover the Night via Facebook — about 25 were seen. A #StopKony student club at the University of Washington gathered over 100 new members leading up to Cover the Night — about 12 showed up. A group of activists hung up posters in Seattle while a public security officer followed behind them to remove the posters. Invisible Children was a well-meaning organization with a noble purpose. But it banked everything on low-quality investors, which made it unsustainable. The term “slacktivist” has come to describe internet users who engage in a humanitarian effort as far as clicking like or typing a hashtag but nothing more. The attention that low-quality investors give is passionate and brief. Before long, something else will be trending, attention is diverted and Invisible Children becomes invisible. The takeaway lessons here can be divided between NGOs and contributors. New NGOs should start small with a focused, achievable goal. They can take advantage of the passionate and brief surges from low-quality investors, but their operative structure must rely on high-quality investors for sustainability. They create accountability by regularly reporting financials and measuring progress. Contributors, which includes activists and donors, need to be sure that they are contributing in a meaningful way. This means actually doing more than clicking stuff on the internet. Minor donations continue to be an important part of NGO fundraising, so even a $10 contribution multiplied by thousands of people goes a long way. Meaningful activism is difficult to achieve, especially for inexperienced NGOs like Invisible Children. Most people will type something on social media but will never write a letter to their congressional representation. Every activist needs to ask themselves whether or not their action will genuinely contribute to the NGO’s mission. Raising awareness is only useful insofar as setting the stage for real action. This is a bridge that many new NGOs fail to construct. Millions of people hate Joseph Kony now, and he doesn’t lose a minute of sleep over it. If we truly want to vanquish evils in the world, we have to build NGOs that are sustainable and activists that are meaningful.

Letter to the Editor: UAA is for education, not athletics People attend UAA for education, not athletics. The senselessness of competitive sports is responsible for so many broken dreams, broken bodies, broken lives. Yet UAA proudly sponsors degrading, humiliating entertainment — the AFC fights, where people in cages beat each other up — to pay for the money-sucking embarrassment that is the Alaska Airlines Center. It goes against everything education stands for. The UAA adminis-

tration needs to clean up its act. It is painful to think of the academic bastion that UAA could be, should be, if it wasn’t for the millions of dollars it throws away every year on sports. Intercollegiate athletics are a waste of money that should instead be spent on academics and student services. ‌ Thomas Harrison Morse, UAA faculty‌

OPINION

Letter to the Editor: PTAB should reconsider Dear Public Transit Advisory Board,‌‌ Over the last several months, the city of Anchorage has seen many changes to daily life. One such change is to the operations of the city bus routes. When it was announced that the bus system would change effective Oct. 23, 2017, city residents were promised a more convenient bus-riding experience. The promise of shorter wait times and more bus hours was what seemed to be a promising update to the previous bus system, exciting many Anchorage residents.‌ However, within the first month of its implementation, several discrepancies and inconveniences became apparent. For one, several important bus routes were removed. More specifically, the removal of bus routes that traveled along the Old Seward Highway, such as route 60. This decision should have first been discussed with Anchorage citizens instead of in secret. It has severely affected the lives of

many Anchorage residents, especially those living along the Old Seward Highway.‌ The decision to remove important bus routes has caused many to be forcibly put in the position to have to call cabs that take “too long to pick you up and far too long to get you where you need to go.” The removal of routes 1, 2 and 36 also have negative effects upon residents in Midtown Anchorage and Huffman Road. Along the Old Seward Highway, it can take up to an hour to arrive at the nearest bus stop, which is not even on the Old Seward Highway. The decision to remove these bus routes has caused some people to lose their jobs, because they cannot rely on the bus system to get to work on time.‌ These are some suggestions that many Anchorage residents feel should be considered when it comes to the bus system:‌ Change the system back to what it was like before (many feel that there was

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being heard. The assembly meeting regarding the changes is proof of that. So now we ask the municipality to do its job. What is that job? To listen to the Anchorage residents. Notice how I did not say “the people.” It is evident that these changes to the bus system have arose due to outside influences. This is not New York nor Los Angeles nor New Orleans. This is the city of Anchorage, and it would be appreciated if the municipality would recognize that and listen to Anchorage residents. Anchorage residents ask that the municipality takes the time to actually care and listen to what it is that residents and the city need to fully enjoy all that the city has to offer.‌‌ Sincerely, MarQuan Rosier Anchorage resident‌

A S S O C I AT E D CO L L E G I AT E P R ES S

3211 Providence Drive Student Union 113 Anchorage, AK 99508‌

Managing Editor Cheyenne Mathews cmathews@thenorthernlight.org‌

nothing wrong with the old system) Add back routes, especially along the Old Seward Highway and Midtown Better utilization of the shuttle buses Converting the route 55 bus to a “every 30 minutes bus route” Add more bus stops along Lake Otis Parkway‌ When it comes to municipal transportation, managers should listen to those who ride the buses. When the changes first took effect in October, many people complained. Many Anchorage residents voiced their stories and concerns about the new bus system to the Anchorage assembly. Only one assemblyperson, Amy Demboski, replied. Everyone else didn’t seem to care all that much. The municipality may think that just because people are not complaining about the system anymore that they must be getting used to it. That is not the case.‌ No one is complaining about the system because they feel like they are not

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